Change Of Hearts
by ckfox
Summary: [Chap 2 FINALLY up after eons and eons] Influenced by the LOTR craze, so expect lots of elves x humans interactions. It's an original plot, so no prior knowledge of Tolkien's works necessary. [MitRu & other pairings to follow] [READ PROFILE FOR MORE INFO]
1. Prologue

Prologue 

By Cheeky

/Eight years ago/

He brushed back several loose strands of raven hair away from his sweaty brow as he sighed ruefully to himself. He should never have wandered away from the walk-path. No thanks to his impulsive action of running after the blue jay, he was now hopelessly lost. Sighing ruefully to himself, his keen ears suddenly picked up a soft mumble of faraway voices. Quickening his footsteps, he hurried towards the source, heart pounding excitedly against his chest.

Minutes later he had arrived at his intended destination. Looking upwards, blue eyes widened at the two small figures high up among the canopy of leaves, bright blades clashing in earnest battle. Reaching for the lowest branch, he began climbing upwards, all the while shouting loudly to gain the fighters' attentions.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but I'm lost and I was wondering if you could tell me- Oh!"

He stopped in mid-sentence upon realizing the two small figures were actually young elves, their pale skin a striking contrast with their head of dark ebony hair. Suddenly the shorter of the two scowled darkly as he pointed the sharp edge of the blade towards the young lad.

"What are you staring at, you human child?"

The chilly tone startled him and his fingers would have slid off the slippery moss had the other elf not made a sudden lunge for his arm. Panting a little as he was hauled to safety, he wheezed out his thanks with a weak smile.

The first elf tapped his foot impatiently, "I asked you, what were you staring at? Have you never seen an elf before?"

The human finally found his voice as he answered with a flippant grin, "I've seen lots of elves before, but I've never seen one as beautiful as you. . ."

To the boy's surprise, the first elf's pale cheeks started turning a bright shade of crimson as the taller elf laughed out loud at the compliment.

 "You have a sweet tongue, human, I like that. . . Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Akira, and this is my younger cousin, Kaede. . ."

He extended his hand with a smile of his own, "Very pleased to meet you both, I'm Hisashi." 

Looking over Akira's shoulder, the young boy then added with interest, "Were you both duelling moments ago?"

"Akira, I don't remember giving you permission to speak with the human. . ."

The taller elf merely grinned as he confined to the human in a low voice, "Kaede's a bossy little elf. . . it takes a little while to get use to. . ."

Then in a louder voice, Akira addressed his younger cousin, "Come on Kaede, Hisashi's lost. . . the least we can do is to direct him a way out of the woods. . ."

Kaede pursed his lips together in disapproval before replying with another dark scowl, "Then hurry up. . . the sun is going to set soon. . ."

Before Akira could speak, Hisashi interrupted his thoughts as he stated rather dubiously, "Aren't you both a little young to be playing with swords? I mean, they do look a little dull at the edges, but sharp enough to do some serious damage. Are your parents not worried that you might accidentally cut yourself?"

Akira's grin widened, "You're very perspective for a human. . . We've actually been forbidden to duel, but Kaede. . . besides being a bossy little elf, is also an extremely stubborn and rebellious elf. . ."

"Are you two done speaking already?" spoke Kaede with annoyance written clearly on his face as he began approaching the other two figures.

Akira turned half-way as he commented cheerfully, "Hisashi was just expressing his concerns in regards to our violent game. . ."

Kaede's eyes narrowed as he looked down at the sitting figure, "It's none of your business, human child. And besides, I have plenty of experiences. If you must know, I received my first bow-and-arrow set when I was eight, and my first sword when I was eleven."

Hisashi scratched his head as he posed another question, his brow furrowed with obvious worry, "You may say that. . . but isn't sword-fighting much too violent and dangerous for little girl elve- AAH!"

In an attempt to avoid the sharp end of Kaede's blade lunged without warning towards his head, Hisashi bend double and to his utmost horror, lost balance and promptly slid off the tree branch. As he began free-falling, Hisashi's hands reached up instinctively towards a hanging branch. To Akira's relief, the boy child successfully stopped from descending downwards. Then looking up towards the two faces peering down at him, one still reflecting a mixture of horror and relief, while the other remain strangely impassive, Hisashi yelled angrily with his feet hanging precariously over empty air, "Hey, what's the big idea?"

Kaede nimbly leaped two branches down, his sudden weight causing Hisashi's support to bend even further. Paying no heed to the boy's shout for him to get away, Kaede muttered between clenched teeth, "Who are you calling a 'girl'?"

Hisashi matched the elf's dark scowl with one of his own as he snorted derisively, "Ch, I take back what I said about you being beautiful. . . You're as violent as the next axe-swinging dwarf!"

He shuddered involuntarily when the elf's blue eyes turned extremely chilly. And Hisashi had a very bad feeling when the elf suddenly smiled thinly without humour.

"Like an axe-swinging dwarf huh?"

"Kaede, NO! Don't do it!"

Ignoring his cousin's shout of protest from behind, Kaede swung the metal blade and with a loud scream, Hisashi began plunging downwards. Reaching the young elf's side, Akira violently gripped Kaede's shoulders as he chided furiously, "You'll kill him!"

Shrugging off the hands, Kaede stated evenly, "The leaves will cushioned his fall." 

Then without sparing his cousin another look, he sheathed his own sword before leaping towards a neighbouring branch. Shaking his head in disbelief at his cousin's callous behaviour, Akira replaced his own sword before leaping downwards. To the elf's utmost relief, he found the boy alive and well, if only a little dazed at the sudden drop.

He held out a hand, "Are you alright, Hisashi?"

Shakily getting to his feet, Hisashi spoke with a mixture of awe and disbelief, "I'm still alive. . ."

Akira answered in an offhand manner, "Yeah well, Kaede did say the leaves will cushioned your fall, and as much as it pains me to say this, he's right as usual."

Hisashi stared, "Did you just say Kaede's a 'he'?"

The elf grinned widely, "Uh-huh. That's why he gets so pissed off when others mistake him for a girl. . ."

Tilting his head backwards, Akira then added as his grin widened even further, "Come on, as a gesture of goodwill, and to apologise for my cousin's rude behaviour, I'll lead you out of the woods. Where are you staying, by the way?"

"At the House of Hanagata. . . my parents are guests there. . ."

Akira's smile faltered, "Oh dear, that means Kaede is going to get into some serious trouble later. . ."

Hisashi stared curiously, "What do you mean?"

The elf began walking as he gestured for the boy to follow, "Well, Kaede is the second son of King Toru, so uncle isn't going to be very pleased to hear what happened. . ."

"Don't worry, I have no intention of telling anyone about the incident. . ." stated Hisashi in a gracious manner.

To Hisashi's surprise, Akira merely threw him an unreadable look as he muttered more to himself than to the boy beside him, "Hmm. . . Kaede's not going to appreciate being indebted to a human. . . but I suppose he deserves it for his previous actions. . ."

Not quite catching the meaning behind the elf's words, Hisashi inquired further, "I'm sorry, I didn't quite get what you just said."

Akira patted the boy in a friendly manner, "Don't worry too much about it. Come on, we better get back before Kaede does, otherwise there's going to be more trouble than either of us hope to get out of. . ."

Still a little unsure of his saviour's enigmatic words, Hisashi could only nod in agreement as he doubled his pace. His thoughts however, were still full of the bossy little elf that had bewitched his senses and unknowingly ensnared his heart. 

t.b.c.

~~~~~~~

A/N: Harlo all again, it's been a while since I've written anything remotely shounen-ai-ish. Heh. =p Does anyone still remember me?? Anyways, if you're a SenRu fan, dun worry cause I hadn't abandoned my first love. ^___^ I've merely branched out a little cause the YAOI world needs more MitRu.. kekeke.. Anyhow, hope you all enjoyed the prologue, more happenings in the upcoming weeks! Needless to say, dun forget to review, otherwise I wouldn't know whether I have a happy audience or not. . Cheerios!~


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

By Cheeky

/Present Day/

"Lord Hisashi, if you're not careful you're going to fall," cautioned a stocky tanned man from below.

Said man merely grinned as he leaned as far out as possible, "You worry too much Shinichi. . . and besides, I've experienced the worst fall possible when I was thirteen. Nothing can top that. . ."

Shinichi sighed, "If you say so m'lord. . ."

A young boy suddenly emerged from the shadows, one hand leading two black stallions, the other arm holding onto the reins of a chestnut-coloured pony. Meeting Shinichi's eye, the boy nodded briefly before adding, "They are near, the horses have sensed their presence. . ."

"In that case. . ."

Looking up once more, Shinichi raised his voice as he gestured for his lord's descent, "M'lord, it's time to leave. . ."

A sudden rustle of leaves and Hisashi was standing by their side. Seeing the stunned look on the young boy's face, Hisashi playfully rustled the dark hair as he praised, "What we would do without a magician's apprentice by our side?"

Having heard the comment, Shinichi snorted derisively as he mounted his ride, "What good is he, m'lord. . . since he can only speak with animals. . ."

Hisashi shook his head as he defended his young stable master, "Shinichi, your words are too harsh. . . If not for Hikoichi, we would not have known what befallen my younger sister. . ."

To both men's surprise, the boy furiously shook his head as he mounted his filly, "M'lord, your steward speaks the truth. . . if not for my family's ill luck with money, I would be able to complete my studies and serve you as a proper magician. . . Alas, as Fate would have it, I am nothing but a poor stable boy. . ."

Hisashi lightly rapped the boy at the back of his head as he reprimanded with disapproval written clearly on his face, "Now you're being stupid. . . as Fate would have it, you have the gift of tongues. . . a talent I'm sure even Shinichi cannot but admit its usefulness to our present task. . ."

Catching his master's meaningful glance, the steward grudgingly nodded as he looked towards the 14-year-old, "Our lord is wise. . . and you would do well to serve him faithful and true. . ."

Hikoichi rigorously nodded his head in earnest as he pledged his loyalty to the son of Anzai for the umpteenth time since they had left familiar ground. Shaking his head in mock exasperation at the boy's display, Hisashi snorted to himself before goading his stallion forward. To be fair, he was feeling rather impatient himself. If the elves were near, then it was to their benefit that they rode in haste to catch up.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Hisashi always prided himself on being a good judge of character, particularly when it came to ascertaining the behaviour of elves and other non-human creatures. Thus, looking at the elf before him illuminated by the faded moonlight, Hisashi decided with an inward nod that he really did not like the narrowed green eyes and haughty stance. But upon catching Hikoichi barely perceptible shake of the head, Hisashi sighed ruefully to himself as he reluctantly removed his fingers from the hilt of his sword. Pasting a forced smile on his face, the 20-year-old then offered the elf leader a half-bow as he introduced himself, "I am Lord Hisashi, son of Anzai, and these two are my loyal servants. We are in search of an elf, but it appears he is not one among your group. As such, please accept my sincere apologies for the disturbance. . ."

But the arrows aimed in their direction did not lowered as the elf leader's amused laughter rang shrilly in Hisashi's ears. Arms crossed, the elf leader sneered as his green eyes passed across the three invaders, "What a coincidence! We too are in search of a human. . . So if you wish for us to spare your lives, you better start praying that one of you is the human we are looking for. Otherwise, I'm afraid even I cannot guarantee your freedom. . . For your information, our Prince is not known for his patience, and he will kill those who have outlived their usefulness. . ." 

"Why you smug little bastard-"

Before Shinichi even had the chance to unsheathe his sword, a slim arrow was fired, missing the steward's foot by a hair's breath. Hikoichi let out a half-shriek in response, shutting up only when Shinichi glared furiously at him. Hearing a soft chuckle high up among the canopy of leaves, Shinichi turned his heated glare upwards, but made no further attempt to attack.

Hisashi finally broke through the watchful silence as he tilted his head slightly forward at the smiling elf leader, "I apologise for my steward's brashness. We will come with you so do lead us forward. . ." 

"Good. It would have been a great pity to have to kill you. . ." answered the elf leader with a formidable smile.

He really did not like the narrowed green eyes and haughty stance.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"What is it Kenji? I thought I told you not to disturb the Prince. . ."

"I know, Akira, but I have with me three humans from beyond the Forbidden Forest. . ." 

Clearly pleased with the look of interest that glimmered in the pair of sapphire orbs, Kenji continued happily as a child would talk of a favourite toy.

"The leader is Lord Hisashi, from the House of Mitsui. He brings with him two servants and they have deliberately crossed the border in search of an elf. . ."

The taller elf of the two suddenly smiled, "Lord Hisashi from the House of Mitsui? Well, well. . . who would have thought that after all these years. . ."

Kenji raised an inquisitive eyebrow but Akira's smile merely widened as he shook his head, "Be patience, later you will understand. Wait while I go and wake our Prince. . . He will be. . . hmm. . . explosive, for the lack of a better description. . ."

Still feeling clueless despite years of experiences dealing with Akira's odd manner of speaking, the elf leader nevertheless bowed his head as a sign of acquiescent. Waiting patiently outside the makeshift tent, Kenji smiled to himself when he heard a loud growl of annoyance from within. And then the young elf bowed respectfully to the waist when his Prince finally appeared minutes later, eyes still barely opened from a clear lack of sleep. 

Under Akira persuasive coaxing, Prince Kaede finally straightened himself to a more dignified position as he removed his arm from Akira's shoulder. Then throwing the elf leader a sidelong glance, the Prince muttered darkly under his breath before starting forward, "This better be worth my time, Akira. . . otherwise both you and Kenji will suffer the consequences. . ."

Falling back to walk alongside the elf leader, Akira commented cheerfully to his ashen-white comrade, "Don't let his words bother you, Kenji. Kaede's all bark and no bite, and he's always this grumpy when he wakes up, no matter what time it is. . ."

Kenji swallowed painfully, "Easy for you to say, you're his dear beloved cousin. I, on the other hand, am just a dispensable elf leader. . ."

Akira shook his head as he disagreed, "I happened to know that Kaede holds you in high regard, so you need not worry too much about his previous words. And I bet you Kaede would have forgotten all about his threat after meeting Lord Hisashi. . ."

As they had reached the three humans, Kenji refrained from questioning any further. He was however, eager to perform the necessary introductions but his Prince didn't seemed the least bit concerned about the humans' identities for he merely stopped before the human leader as he questioned in a bored monotone.

"So you know the present whereabouts of my brother?"

From the moment his eyes had caught sight of the elf Prince, Hisashi's gaze had stayed glued upon the eternal beauty, a faint stirring of recognition brewing slowly in his human mind. The young elf's elegant yet decidedly purposeful stride, the slight upturned of a sharp chin and the positively proud gaze from beneath half-lidded eyes, all screamed 'royalty' and the demand to be looked. And when the elf Prince finally stopped inches away from him, Hisashi was certain he knew the icy cold blue eyes from eight years ago, knew it with such strong conviction that he would have spoken the elf's name aloud had his thoughts not been interrupted by the Prince's sudden question. 

Hisashi sighed ruefully to himself; the Prince was still as rude and spoilt rotten as the day they first met. He would have loved to give the arrogant Prince a false answer, but since he really didn't have an idea what the elf was talking about, Hisashi decided honesty was the best, if not the most amusing policy to take. Shrugging his shoulders unconcerned, he remarked almost mockingly, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. And even if I did, I still wouldn't care less. . ."

Blue eyes widened in disbelief, though it was probably due more to Hisashi's manner of answering, than to the answer itself. Turning around sharply, the elf addressed his cousin in a loud and accusing voice, "You told me they knew where brother was. . ."

Akira opened his eyes innocently wide as he answered, "I said no such thing, my dearest cousin. I merely told you that Kenji has brought with him three humans of whom I believed would be of great interest to you. You formed that particular conclusion yourself, so it's no use blaming me. . ."

Paying no heed to the wrathful glare now aimed in his direction, Akira moved forward before slinging an arm around Hisashi's shoulder as he added with a mischievous wink, "By the way, this here, my sweet Prince, is Lord Hisashi from the House of Mitsui. . ."

Kaede crossed his arms as he snorted with disinterest, "So what? That name means nothing to me. . ."

Akira looked meaningfully at his cousin's sheathed sword as he pressed further, "Are you sure? Think back eight years ago. . . this is the same man you felled after he interrupted our. . . ahem, conversation high up in the treetops. . ."

The pale face remained impassive but Akira caught the slight flicker of the eyelids, clear signs that his cousin finally remembered the incident. But instead of acknowledging the man's presence, the elf Prince merely snorted derisively as he made to leave the group, "I don't know what you're talking about and I don't care. Let the humans go back to where they came from, I'm going back to sleep. . ." 

Hisashi halted the Prince's movements with a sudden grip of the elf's arm. Deliberately ignoring the incredulous look on the elf's face, and the sudden raise of arrows all aimed at his head, Hisashi spoke aloud his displeasure, "Kaede, you are as rude and obnoxious as the day we first met. For crying out loud, have you not learned any manners at all in the last eight years?"

The rebuke was swift and furious as Kaede came close to snarling, "How dare a human as lowly as yourself addressed me without a honourific? And who are you to be calling me rude and obnoxious? You were the one who first insulted me by calling me a 'girl' eight years ago!"

Hisashi drawled out with a lazy grin, "Ah. . . so you do remember me. . ."

"That's only because you're-"

"Unforgettable, I know. . ." interjected the young man with a cheeky grin.

Despite his furious tugging, the grip on his arm did not relent and releasing a low growl of annoyance, the elf snapped back with an unexpected nod, "Yes, you're unforgettably disgusting. . ."

"With a uncouth mouth as yours, I'm finding it hard to believe that you're actually a Prince. . ." shot back Hisashi as he leaned his face closer, as if wanting to scrutinised the sudden narrowing of sapphire orbs.

From the side Kenji exclaimed with a furious snarl as he withdrew his sword, "How dare you insult our Prince, you foul-mouthed barbarian!"

The elf's blade however, clashed heavily against Shinichi's as the young man tensed out between clenched teeth, "You are in no positioned to judge, for you are as ill-mannered as your Prince!"

As the battle between both fighters began in earnest, Hikoichi tugged nervously at Akira's long shirtsleeve as he pleaded for the grinning elf's assistance, "Erm, sir. . . don't you think you ought to say something to appease their anger?"

Akira looked down at the boy child as he chuckled with deep amusement, "Why should I? Not since Princess Haruko ran away with her big fat lamb had I had so much fun . . ."

Hikoichi could only stare back with utmost disbelief, as he inwardly wondered if the elf was mad. Perhaps the elf Prince's cousin had sensed the magician apprentice's inner thoughts, though it was more likely that Akira had laughed enough to last him for the rest of the night. But whatever the reason may be, it was to Hikoichi's relief when Akira finally removed his own shiny blade as he stepped forward to break the fight apart. 

Despite the looks of surprise, Akira's smile did not wavered as he gestured at the sparring duo, "We had better stop their verbal argument before they draw swords. . . Kaede doesn't fight fair when he's in a bad mood. . ." 

Giving Kenji a knowing look, Akira then added, "Particularly when he's in a bad mood due to a lack of sleep. . ."

Satisfied when the elf leader lowered his sword, Akira then turned to Shinichi as he continued, "I am of course, speaking on the assumption that your master is an honourable man. . ."

Shinichi bowed his low as he replaced his own sword, "On my Lord's behalf, I thank you for the compliment."

Akira's grin widened, "Good. Now that we're all on the same side, let's see what we can do about those two. . ."

In the last few minutes the argument had only gotten far more abusive as Kaede stared back defiantly while stating in a clear and loud voice, "It is because of men like you that impinged upon me to despise the entire human breed!"

"And if you were a girl I would have punch you for that vulgar statement!" shot back Hisashi without a moment of hesitation.

"Ooh, I liked that. . ." chuckled Akira, to which Kenji's green eyes opened wide with incredulity.

Not noticing the crowd that had gathered, Kaede hissed out furiously, "How dare you imply that I'm weaker than a girl!"

"You said that. . . I did not," responded Hisashi with an unconcerned shrug.

Having noticed the pale fingers inched towards the sheathed blade, the elf Prince's cousin hastened to point out in a loud and clear voice, "You know what, I think you two are starting to sound like a married old couple. . ."

Both whirled around to face the grinning elf as they snapped back simultaneously, "We do not!"

Shinichi suddenly laughed aloud, "How about that? They even think like a married old couple!"

The elf Prince and the young man fell silent, unsure of whether to glare at their grinning audience, or at each other. Seizing the temporarily peace, Akira started forward as he slung one arm around his cousin's shoulder, and the other arm around the son of Anzai. Smiling wide, the young elf then remarked in a diplomatic fashion.

"Come now, we are all friends, are we not? As I've just been told, Lord Hisashi is looking for an elf, just as we are looking for a human. I'm sure if we all unburdened our problems, the opposite party will be able to lend great assistance to our respective cause."

Realising that it was unlikely for the elf Prince to concede first, Hisashi graciously offered, "You are wise as usual, Akira. . ."

When the elf bowed slightly in acknowledgment, Hisashi then added, "We are indeed looking for an elf. The truth is, my sister has run away from her pre-nuptial ceremony, and according to Hikoichi, she was last seen confiding with a male elf. We can only surmise that she has sought the assistance of the said elf in her escape plan."

Under Akira's heavy scrutiny, Kaede relented after much reluctance, "Hmph. . . Well, we're facing the same problem too. Only difference is, it's my older brother who has run away. He was last seen four days ago travelling with a human girl, but unfortunately, he managed to give his chasers the slip, and hasn't been seen or heard of since."

Shinichi interjected with a thoughtful frown, "Could it be that the human girl travelling with Crown Prince Kiminobu is my lord's sister, Lady Ayako?"

"It's not all impossible, since Crown Prince Kiminobu was clearly taken with Lady Ayako's exquisite charm when they met eight years ago. . . Perhaps they maintained correspondences without our knowledge?" suggested Akira as he darted a quick look at his cousin.

But it was Kenji who exclaimed aloud, "That would mean Crown Prince Kiminobu also ran away to avoid his marriage with Princess Haruko!"

"But I thought marriages between humans and elves are common since the end of the Great Battle, surely a change of hearts isn't enough reason to run away. . ." pointed out Hikoichi as he looked around the group.

Shinichi offered an explanation, "The interaction certainly isn't taboo, but the relationship may be frowned upon if you're already engaged to be married. . ."

Kaede suddenly snapped impatiently, "Oh puh-lease, it's nothing as romantic as you described. My brother has never expressed an interest in Lady Ayako. . . at least, not to my knowledge. . ." 

Removing Akira's arm to take several steps forward, the elf Prince's voice turned strangely bitter as he gestured at the other three elves who had accompanied him on his search.

"That coward merely ran away to avoid being crowned King. . . He hates everything that has to do with leadership and whatsnot, believing them all to be a waste of time. . ."

"But you don't think so, eh Kaede? I bet you must be secretly pleased that he ran away, since his absence puts you next-in-line to control and command your-"

The sharp uppercut punch threw Hisashi off-balance and the young man staggered several feet before falling heavily against a stunned Akira. With his cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, Kaede's voice shook as he hissed between clenched teeth, "That is why I hate the human breed. . . you think you're so smart, but in actual fact, you're nothing but mindless fools who speak without thinking. . ."

And with that parting shot, Kaede turned tailed and strode off without another word, leaving behind a group of elves and humans too stunned to react.

t.b.c

~~~~~~

A/N: My sincerest apologies for the delay. Doing my finals this year and life is busier than expected. Anyways, please take the time to comment, and to help me out on certain pairings. Should it be (a) MakiFuji OR MakiSen and (b) KoAya OR SenKo and (c) Neither, I want X/X. I'll be back with more, I promise! Till then, stay cool.

Feedback: 

Forsaken^On3: *grins* So that makes you my perfect fan?

nothingtodo: Thanks a lot for reading my other ficcies. ^o^ Feel free to post any constructive criticisms if you like.

golden-flame4: How different is /different/? Don't be shy! Just say whatever you think, I honestly don't mind.

diggy: Heh.. writing kiddies almost makes me feel funny.. kinda like sanzo + goku. =p


	3. Chapter 2

**Change of Hearts**

**By Cheeky**

**C****hapter Two**

"You really weren't kidding when you said Prince Kaede was in a bad mood," commented Shinichi with a wry grin as he gratefully accepted a cup of hot steaming chocolate drink from the elf leader.

Watching Hisashi tenderly rubbing against his bruised jaw, Kenji suddenly slapped his knee as he laughed aloud, "Weaker than a girl, he says… Who's in great pain now, I wonder?"

Akira shot the elf leader a dark look before turning his attention towards the human leader, "I apologise for Kaede's behaviour. He isn't really as heartless as he sounded moments ago… The truth is, Kaede worships the ground Crown Prince Kiminobu walks on, but since our cousin ran away, Kaede has been worrying himself sick… He would halt the search only when the horses are spewing foam, or when the elves are too tired to continue. In fact, we have been walking continuously for close to seventeen hours when you stumbled onto our camp."

Hikoichi who was put in charge of nursing the fire suddenly sighed as he muttered sadly under his breath, "If what Prince Kaede said is true, then we're never going to find Lady Ayako…"

"Actually, I have a very strong feeling that our two runaways are indeed together… I mean, when you do think about it, it's too much of a coincidence that they both ran away within days of each other…" remarked Hisashi with a thoughtful look on his face.

Akira nodded slowly, "You may have a point there, Lord Hisashi… As far as the House of Hanagata is concerned, Crown Prince Kiminobu is the only elf known to have run away… So unless Lady Ayako escaped with an elf from another House, chances are she is indeed with Crown Prince Kiminobu…"

"But can we really assume that they are together? What if we're wrong?" sniffed Hikoichi as he came close to tears.

Kenji suddenly exclaimed as he snapped his fingers, "Wait a minute… you can speak to horses, right? Why don't you trying asking them for a description of the elf Lady Ayako was last seen with?"

Hikoichi wailed loudly, "They only told me he was covered in green from head to toe, and that he smelled like an elf…"

Akira tapped his chin thoughtfully, "Hmm… this may be a long shot in the dark… but did the horses happen to notice a ring on the elf's middle finger? The Crown Prince of every House wears a ring with a specially designed stone that give details of which House he is from… If we know the design, then we would know for certain whether Lady Ayako's escape partner is Crown Prince Kiminobu or not…"

The young stable master brightened considerably as he made to stand up, "I'll do that right away…"

Kenji however, pulled the boy back to the ground as he reminded, "The horses are sleeping… you can ask them when day breaks…"

"Speaking of which, there's only a couple of hours more before the sun rises. Since it's going to be another long day tomorrow, I suggest we all catch some sleep," commented Akira as he gave a loud yawn.

Kenji gestured several feet away, "We have spare tents if you're interested…"

Hisashi hurriedly shook his head, "Thank you for the offer, but we prefer to sleep outside…"

The elf Prince's cousin grinned, "Same here, though personally I prefer sleeping high up in the trees… Well, good night then."

"Good night," answered Hisashi as he settled himself comfortably on the ground.

He had barely closed his eyes when Hikoichi's loud yell woke him up. Groggily straightening to an upright position, Hisashi muttered sleepily, "What is it Hikoichi?"

"My lord, Lady Ayako is indeed with Crown Prince Kiminobu!"

That woke the young man up as he got to his feet, "Are you certain?"

His stable master nodded his head rigorously, "Yes, Akira has verified that the ring the horses saw is indeed Crown Prince Kiminobu's."

"That is good news… so what next?"

"A wash and then breakfast, m'lord… the elves have prepared a meal in accordance to our taste…"

Hisashi turned towards his steward with a smile, "So I'm the last one up?"

"Actually, Prince Kaede is still asleep… or more specifically, since we now know the identity of the human girl Prince Kaede is with, Akira is letting the Prince sleep in…" answered Kenji as he approached the three humans.

Hisashi raised an eyebrow as he inquired, "I take it your Prince isn't going to be too pleased with Akira's decision…"

Kenji chuckled evilly, "And it appears that you know our Prince's habits only too well…"

The young man flushed crimson as he hastily turned back towards his steward, "Er, I think I'll go wash up now…"

Shinichi's grin matched the elf leader as he led the way towards a nearby stream.

"Good morning Lord Hisashi… slept well?" inquired Akira with a smile as the young man approached his side.

"Yes, thank you for your concern… and yourself?" responded Hisashi as he sat next to the elf.

Akira smiled happily, "I'm well rested… I assumed Hikoichi has told you about our find?"

"Yes. So what do you plan to do next?"

Akira stretched his arms high up into the air as he answered, "Well, first thing first, we have to wait for Kaede to wake up. With a human girl in tow, and a lady from the House of Mitsui at that, there's only one place Crown Prince Kiminobu can go…"

"And where's that?" inquired Hisashi with interest.

But before the elf could reply, a voice questioned sharply from behind both speakers, "Why is the human still here?"

Akira turned his head as he remarked cheerfully, "Ah, you're awake, cousin dear… Did you sleep well?"

The elf Prince scowled, "Don't make me ask twice…"

Hisashi stood up as he stared evenly into Kaede's azure orbs, "Your brother is with my sister, so like it or not, we're going to have to travel together to retrieve the two runaways…"

To the young man's surprise, Kaede suddenly frowned as he commented with mocking concern, "Oh my, does your bruise still hurt, Lord Hisashi? I must say it has turned a rather nice shade of purple…"

"Are you always this rude and obnoxious in the morning?" came the scathing response.

The elf Prince answered with a hint of a smile, "_Oh no_… as Akira will tell you, I'm usually very polite and well-mannered. But since I'm conversing with rude and obnoxious humans, I may as well return the favour…"

Hisashi gave a slight bow as he remarked with traces of scorn, "How painful it must be for you to have to lowered yourself to such unmoral standards, Prince Kaede… Please, do accept my sincerest apologies, for I merely reacted on the assumption that being ill-mannered is second-nature to you…"

"I do hate getting involved in lovers' quarrel of any kind, but if we're hoping to catch up with Crown Prince Kiminobu and Lady Ayako, then we had better start for Lord Hanamichi's manor…" pointed out Akira in a much too cheerful voice.

Kaede glared at his cousin as he remarked coolly, "You're enjoying yourself, aren't you Akira?"

The elf nodded shamelessly, "Oh yes, very much indeed, dearest cousin…"

"Well, stop it…"

"I might when you decide to cooperate with Lord Hisashi," answered Akira without humour.

The elf Prince snorted, "And should I refuse?"

His cousin shrugged, seemingly unconcerned as he answered, "Then you would be at a disadvantage… You know very well that Lord Hanamichi would never agree to anything you say, and that your relationship is soured over the Princess Haruko incident… But if Lord Hisashi is willing to speak on our behalf, then we might have a greater chance of ensuring Crown Prince Kiminobu's return…"

In a softer voice, Akira then added, "Kaede, not all humans carry ill will towards you…"

Several minutes of silence later, Kaede finally looked towards the son of Anzai as he stated evenly, "I don't want you to get the wrong impression that I desperately need your assistance… I'm agreeing to Akira's condition only because I've been ordered by father to bring back brother no matter what… And since your presence will help me do just that, I am thus willing to cultivate a cordial relationship with you…"

But instead of answering the elf Prince, Mitsui turned his gaze towards Akira as he remarked quietly, "I think I'm beginning to understand why you put up with his foul temperament…"

The elf Prince's cousin responded with a tired smile, "As you've just experienced yourself, Kaede does try really hard to please… Personally, I find the trait quite worrisome given that he's willing to sacrifice his own happiness to do just that…"

"Hmm… is that the result of an unhappy childhood or sibling rivalry?"

The older elf looked sympathetically at his wide-eyed cousin as he disagreed with the human's presumption, "Close, but not quite near enough. The truth is, King Toru wanted a daughter as having two sons in the royal family usually leads to a wrestle of the crown and power…"

"Akira, I don't see the purpose in sharing my private affairs with the human…" growled out the elf Prince with deep resentment, though his eyes betrayed his obvious disquiet and discomfort.

"Since we're going to travel together for the next seven days, I feel it's best for Lord Hisashi to understand you better…"

Kaede had a strong feeling he was being deliberately ignored. And even if he offered further protest, his cousin seemed unlikely to heed his command. So throwing up both hands in frustration, Kaede muttered scathingly under his breath, "I don't need anyone's understanding… least of all the consideration of a human…"

"Speaking of which… why _do_ you hate humans so much?" questioned Hisashi with interest.

The elf Prince snapped back rudely, "I've already told you, it's because humans are so full of themselves…"

"Actually, the reason is because Kaede was brought up by human nurses," countered Akira at the side.

Ignoring the enraged glare aimed in his direction, Akira continued with a mirthless chuckle, "A stupid adviser of King Toru argued that since Kaede would never ascend to the throne, there was no need to teach Kaede the way of the elves. Thus, he was put under the care of humans, and discouraged from interacting with the rest of his kin… The nurses who took care of him were rather unkind, so it's only inevitable that Kaede would be less than fond of humans…"

"What next? You're going to tell Hisashi how I misbehaved so as to discourage the nurses from coming back?"

"Actually I…" started Akira but paused in mid-sentence when his cousin abruptly turned before stomping off in the opposite direction.

Staring at the retreating back, Hisashi spoke aloud his thoughts, "I'm assuming Kaede meant that to be a rhetorical question?"

Giving his head a rueful shake, the elf offered a loud sigh of dejection, and I thought he was being serious… really, Kaede is becoming more and more unpredictable with each passing day…"

Hisashi suddenly grinned, "Enough about the human nurses… if I listen any more, I might actually start to feel sorry for Kaede, and that would damaged my reputation tremendously… How about sharing with me how you came to be at the elf Prince's beck and call instead?"

Akira laughed easily before explaining, "My mother is King Toru's sister, so we're first cousins by blood… When I was 12-years-old, my father died due to an incurable disease, so mother and I were invited to live with uncle and aunt. Mother became aunt's companion, while I was put under the care of Kenji's father, Fujima, who was the previous elf leader. To cut a long story short, when Kaede's fourteenth nurse resigned in tears, I was brought in as a temporary playmate. Since I was the only person who could tolerate the then 8-year-old Prince, I was thus appointed as Kaede's guardian…"

"And you spoilt him rotten, didn't you?"

Akira merely stared at the direction his cousin had taken as he muttered softly under his breath, "I am merely trying to fill in as the older brother Kaede never had the chance of knowing…"

Kenji spread the faded map over a large flat boulder as he pointed at an area in the far north-east, "That is where Lord Hanamichi lives. At the speed we're travelling at, it shouldn't take us more than a week to reach the clearing."

Shinichi looked questioning around the group, "Who is this Lord Hanamichi anyway?"

The elf Prince answered with traces of disgust, "He's an insufferable redhead… a creature of the lowest form…"

"What Kaede means is, Lord Hanamichi is a human," came Akira's laughing reply.

Kenji added an explanation, "Lord Hanamichi is smitten with Princess Haruko, a distant cousin of Prince Kaede…"

"Isn't she the elf princess Crown Prince Kiminobu is supposed to marry?" asked Hisashi in surprise.

Akira nodded before answering, "You see, during one of his bi-monthly visit to the House of Akagi, Lord Hanamichi's marriage proposal happened to arrive. As you already know, Kaede doesn't like humans very much, and he has simply no patience for loudmouthed and noisy men. Without realising they were being watched by the royal siblings, Kaede and Lord Hanamichi shared a rather loud quarrel, followed by a bloody and unnecessary fight. Consequently, because of this incident King Takenori has refused to allow his sister to marry Lord Hanamichi on the grounds that the lord is a violent and abusive man."

When the elf prince's cousin paused, Kenji took up the rest of the thread, "Naturally, Lord Hanamichi blamed Prince Kaede for inciting the argument, and thus foiling his marriage to the elf princess… Their relationship however, turned extremely bitter when the engagement between Crown Prince Kiminobu and Princess Haruko was announced only seven weeks later. The lord had wrongly assumed that Kaede was behind his brother's engagement, but in actual fact, it was King Toru who proposed the wedding."

"I don't get it… if Crown Prince Kiminobu was supposed to marry Princess Haruko, then why would Lord Hanamichi be willing to give shelter to the Crown Prince?" inquired Shinichi as his brow furrowed with deep concentration.

"You forget, Crown Prince Kiminobu not only ran away from his own pre-nuptial ceremony, he is also travelling with Lady Ayako…" reminded Akira.

Kaede snorted, "That single-cell creature probably thinks my brother has eloped with Lady Ayako…"

"In other words, Lord Hanamichi is free to marry Princess Haruko… provided he can convince King Takenori to give his blessing. If Crown Prince Kiminobu were to speak on the lord's behalf, then the odds of King Takenori agreeing to the marriage is quite high, given that those from the House of Hanagata are held in utmost regard…" added Kenji as he folded his map.

Hikoichi complained half-heartedly as he rubbed his temples, "This is all so very confusing…"

The lord's steward lightly rapped the boy at the back of his head as he remarked with a laugh, "That's because you're still a child…"

"Hmph, I don't blame Hikoichi for being befuddled… I'm feeling a little lost myself…" commented Hisashi with a wry grin.

And then young man added seriously as he held Akira's eyes, "Assuming you're right about their whereabouts, how confident are you that the two runaways are willing to return with us? And even if they are willing, from what I've heard, there's no guarantee that Lord Hanamichi will let them go so easily…"

But it was the elf Prince who supplied an answer as he stated without emotion, "It doesn't matter whether brother's willing or not, my only task is to bring him back safe and sound… But if the vulgar redhead chooses to stand in my way, then I won't hesitate to take his life…"

"We would have a war on our hands should that ever happen…" pointed out Kenji with an unhappy frown.

Shinichi offered in the same undertone, "I feel your pain… Lord Ryota from the House of Miyagi has already threatened war on our House should Lady Ayako not return to complete her end of the wedding union…"

"How troublesome a change of heart is…" remarked Kaede with a scowl of annoyance.

Akira disagreed as he gave a slight shake of the head, "There's where you're wrong, Kaede… the problem started with all the arranged marriages… If elves and humans were allowed to choose who they wish to marry, and indeed, marry the one of whom they had given their heart to, then we wouldn't have two runaways to deal with."

t.b.c

A/N: So much in RL that I was on the verge of breaking down. But this fic will be completed. Please visit my profile for some additional information. And do continue to R&R, cause your views really keep me motivated. /Hugs/

Feedback:

golden-flame4: Kogure and Ayako.. heheh.. yeah, right.. /winks/

Mata & ForsakenOn3: Votes duly noted.. ;;;

Me mei mei: /breathtaking hugs/ Hehehe.. ;;;;;;

Night Strider: Nah.. won't be crossing over the LOTR, just 'elvenising' some bishonens.. hehehe.. a challenge from MicchiKo, moderator of the MitRu ML. ;;;

hagane: you write lots of MitRu/RuMit too yeah? /waves MitRu/RuMit banner/


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